Ice tray



Patented May 2, 1950 Maximilian.si'bigternmnetroit;Mien., assigner toCharIes B; Kempf; Gosse Pointe, Mich..,.

This-invention relates-to animproved. ice Vtray such` as used..in. do1nestie:and. commercial .ree frigera-tors and: dealsmoreparticularly-to .an-1m-Y proved. grid construction for an.,icetray.`

Itfs an. object.,ofthe-presentdnyentiorn to. pro.-` vide.: aniceftray: grid constructiomwhich greatlyfacilitatesthefremoval o-y ice cubes therefrom; It-

has heretoforerbeeenfproposedtoprovide a gr-id construction wherein the-.Walls of the'indivduakv compartments are bodilymovablewitlmespectftel eachotherby hingingythemtogetheras is .shownf in; Reissue Patent;'Number;20;693r. AY grid.v ofymy;Uv construction. also. produces abodilyf movement ofl the. partition wallsiwithrespect to'feachi other but.: infardiiierent. and Aimprovedmanner.:A Insteadroif;

having thegwallsf pivotizas tof. eachfzothea; I proie` vide aunique constructiomwhicin. permitsf. the

walls;torslide'with'-respeetitov theirzadjacent walls and thereby-forcibly ejecttheficefblQcks-.from ther:

individual.compartments:-y

In-'the-drawings: Y

l'iigureI 1. is f aiperspectivezr viewffoffanricef tray and.' grid embodying; the? preferred; lform off.I my:

invention..

Figure 24 is: a-A sectional; view"l taken:l al'ong liner-x -2.-2 of-V Figure 1'panda.illustrating:v theifpreferredi formv ofvr slotting` the== longitudinali.fandf'gridpare-v titions.

Figure .3: is a: viewy corresponding: toyFigure'f. showing the relativefpositionaofr -theipartsf during@ the removal lof the icecubes:-

Figuref4 is.- a=sectiona-k view.t of :a :modified formeV oi"` the'invention shown-f in Figure: 1'.

Figure E5 is a sectional .viewoi anotlienmcdied.'

form of the invention illustrating the useoffazr. undivided longitudinal. partition.

Referring.- toi Figure 1f, .thereisfshowntza coneV ventional. ice.y tray rI rghavingfremovably retained; therein-agrid-generallyindicatedi as t2; for-freeze. ing ai-plurality'oiv'iceicubes. The grid l2nisfmadewup ofK a; plurality 'offalternately inclined-.wall sec-1 tionsv M and ISTextendingtransversely-of theA tray: Theftrayisfunther-.-fdivlded.f.by afflcneir-v tudinalpartition.. Vlil: which preferably made im two se1:aarff a,ble.rv members 2-ll and... 22.@ shaped as. shown. Wall. secti'onsldilA arefsecured .td-and 'move able .with .upper .divider @Ztl-andysections.- 1 6.' fare.- secured to..andmovable. with lower divider Although Vthe sections .may .be f secured. .to their..

respective dividers.. by variousmeans prefer. to.. accomplish. this. by siotting.. sections` Y M- from...the.

bottom.l to. a. .point .above-the. center .thereoL as shown. at. 24 in.Figure.2and vforming. angularly inclined cooperating slots 26 from the topfc.. membenfll. to. .below thecenter thereof.. Ind'ike;

manner: sections. I 6.. are., secured. to the lower di"V viderzz.bygcooperating-slots-28 and 30.: In this;y

case.:slQtf-ZB.v extends fromA the top of wall sec--fextendsfto' theelovver edge Vof: divider 22.

A handle ..3 2- is pivoted at- 34 on-= the top dividers l Zdf-and-:hasa ani-extending; tongue Sil-'which is adaptedrtoI coopera-te with the` contour of al1- -1 upwardly 1 disposed: toe 38- on member 22. to movethe top divider vertically and-inthe directionofv toe 38 when handle 32 is pivoted upwardly.. By disp1acing,thetop divider. in this.n manner, it Will beob'served that wall. sections M. will bebodily movedwith respect sections I6 and-member V22 as shown in Figure 53-- Allwall sections iii are providedfwith. `substantially; the same movement meansfotazheeli andcam- 42 arrangementat the other'endof vpartition Ilwhich serves to maintain the-top. andl bottom dividers in parallel rela-- tionshipyduring movement, and: thereby movef walls I 6, in-inclined parallel planes.

It-willebefrealized.: ofcourse that in some instances :tongue Gi-mightnot engagetoe portionlU 32H11 thefmannerwdescribed; It may-merely slide overithetoe; in which case'member 22 will pivot aboutheel%.40. Withveither. modeof operation-iii;y will.beiobservedthat the'ice-block's will be quickly and forciblyaei'ected from-thetray when handle 32 is pulled upwardly. Itewiil also. be realized'.

.that the-tray 'may be divided: by'a; plurality of longitudi'nal1partitions actuated by' as many' handlesfon interconnected tobe Aoperated yluy a. single-handle,

In-Iiigure- 4`- I. haveV shown.` a somewhat modifledformrofthefstructureshown in Figures 1 to'3V Wherein.-thef -handle 32: is pivotally attached to bothrthefupper andlower dividers, as .at'd and'M.

respectively andfis provided with an extension 56- whch:isadaptedtozengage thefianged edge 55 of .theft/ray.' Figurelalso disclosesanother mannerv of-securinggsectionsalland Hite their respective,

dividersa In. this embodiment wallV sectionsfM and116^fareslotted at both. the upper and lower;-

edges-aseat.Maanddit anddividers 2li'- and 22V 'care provided with inclined slots4 5l? and 52 at their. adjacent edges.. However, the movements of the wall sectionsby-the action of handle 3?. is the semanas-.described for the structure of- Figure'l.. withthefexception. that the vengagement of ex--ff tension .65.with theedgecfthe tray moves the.

entire gridand serves-todislodge the ice.y blocks at thebottom. of. the. tray.VV

A further. modification. of. mygr-id construction..

is, shown. .Figure-. 5f wherein. .the longitudinal..

Vpartition....iilf .comprises ay singler member andi-the tongue extension 36 of handle 32 is adapted to engage a flange portion 56 at the upper edge of the tray. Alternately inclined slots B and ll on partitions 54 engage cooperating slots S2 and 64 on wall sections i4 and I6 respectively. The combined length of slots 5D and 64 is greater than the height of section I6 so that while wall sections I4 will be raised with partition 54, sections lG are adapted to remain depressed when handle 32 is pulled upwardly. The movement of sections i4 will therefore break the bond between the blocks and walls lll and the relative movement of adjacent wall sections will serve to eject the blocks in a manner similar to that already described.

It will thus be seen that the various grids which have been described are of simple construction and can be manufactured very cheaply. The transverse wall sections may be loosely retained by their respective longitudinal members or they may be secured thereto to prevent them from falling oli when the grid is cleaned or otherwise handled. While l have described but a few means by which the wall sections may be retained by the longitudinal members it is to be understood that they may be secured in any suitable manner, the important feature being the relative movement obtained between the adjacent walls when the longitudinal partition is moved in the manner described.

I claim:

l. An ice tray partition unit comprising a plurality of wall sections adapted to extend transversely of an ice tray and being alternately inclined relative to the bottom wall of the tray so that adjacent wall sections are disposed at an angle to each other, a longitudinal partition member which comprises upper and lower members movable with respect to each other, said wall sections being arranged so that all wall sections inclined in the same direction are movable with one of said longitudinal members and wall sections adjacent to said last mentioned sections are movable with the other longitudinal member, and means for moving said upper member in a combined 'upward and longitudinal direction relative to said lower member whereby the wall sections movable with said upper member are moved in parallel inclined planes,

2. An ice tray partition unit comprising a plurality of wall sections adapted to extend transversely of an ice tray and being alternately inclined that adjacent wall sections are disposed at an angle to each other, a longitudinal partition member which comprises upper and lower members movable with respect to each other, said wall sections being arranged so that all wall sections inclined in one direction are movable with one of said longitudinal members and wall sections inclined in the other direction are movable with 'he other longitudinal member, and means for raising one end of said upper member whereby the wall sections attached thereto are bodily moved with respect to the wall sections attached to lower member.

3. A sharp freezing container comprising longitudinal partition members, a plurality of alternately` inclined transverse wall sections dividing the container into individual triangular compartments, one wall of each compartment being movable with one of said longitudinal members and another wall of said compartments being movable with a different longitudinal member, and means for moving one of said longitudinal members with respect to another to produce bodily movement of one wall of each compartment with respect to another wall of said compartment.

4. A sharp freezing container comprising a longitudinal partition member which comprises upper and lower members relatively movable with respect to each other, transverse wall sections dividing the container into a plurality of compartments, the adjacent transverse walls of each compartment being alternately inclined, one o said adjacent walls of each compartment being secured to said upper member so as to be movable therewith, the other of said transverse walls being secured to said lower member and movable therewith, and handle means on one of said longitudlnal members cooperating with the other longitudinal member for moving one of said members with respect to the other so as to produce movement of one of said adjacent walls of said compartments in the direction of inclination of its adjacent wall.

5. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray, a longitudinal partition in said tray which comprises adjacent upper and lower members movable with respect to each other, transverse partitions for dividing the substance to be frozen in the tray into a plurality of blocks, the adjacent wall sections being disposed at an angle to each other to form triangular compartments and arranged so that one wall is movable with said upper longitudinal member and the other wall is movable with said lower member, and handle means for separating said longitudinal members to produce movement of at least one wall of each compartment with respect to its adjacent wall, whereby a compressive force is exerted on the frozen block contained therein to facilitate its separation from the adjacent compartment walls.

6. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray, a longitudinal partition in said tray which comprises two longitudinal members positioned one above the other, transverse walls disposed in zigzag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of triangular compartments above and below said Walls adapted to retain blocks of frozen substance, one of said walls of each compartment being movable with one of said longitudinal members and the adjacent transverse Wall being movable with the other longitudinal member and handle means cooperating with said members to move one of said longitudinal members upwardly and longitudinally whereby at least one wall of said compartments is moved upwardly and longitudinally of said tray to partially eject the frozen blocks from within the compartments above said transverse walls.

7. A sharp freezing -container comprising a tray, a longitudinal partition in said tray which comprises two longitudinal members positioned one above the other, transverse walls disposed in zigzag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of triangular compartments above and below said walls adapted to retain blocks of frozen substance, one oi?v said walls of each compartment bclng movable withone of said longitudinal members and the adjacent transverse wall being movable with the other longitudinal member, and handle means interconnecting said longitudinal members for displacing said upper member in parallel spaced relation torsaid lower member, whereby those compartment walls movable with said upper member are displaced in parallel inclined planes and partially eject the frozen blocks from the compartments above said transverse Walls.

8. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray, a plurality of alternately inclined transverse partitions dividing the tray into a plurality of triangular compartments, and a longitudinal partition extending through and supporting said transverse partitions, said transverse partitions being so supported as to permit one transverse compartment partition to slide with respect to its adjacent transverse partition when said longitudinal partition is raised within said tray.

9. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray, a plurality of alternately inclined wall sections extending transversely of said tray, a longitudinal partition supporting said wall sections and means for moving said longitudinal partition to produce a sliding movement of the wall sections inclined in one direction with respect to the adjacent wall sections inclined in the other direction.

10. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray and a removable partition unit adapted to divide the tray into a plurality of triangular shaped compartments and comprising a longitudinal dividing member, a plurality of alternately inclined transverse wall sections secured to said dividing member, and means for producing bodily movement of one transverse wall of each compartment with respect to its adjacent transverse wall section in the direction of inclination of said adjacent wall section whereby a compressive force is exerted on the ice blocks in said compartments to facilitate their separation from the remainder oi the compartment walls.

11. A sharp freezing container comprising a tray, a plurality of alternately inclined wall sections extending transversely of said tray and dividing the tray into a plurality of triangular compartments, a longitudinal member extending through said Wall sections, one of said Wall sections of each compartment being movable with said longitudinal member and the other wall section being slidably engaged with said longitudnal member, and handle means for lifting said longitudinal member whereby said wall section movable therewith exerts a compressive force against a substance frozen in said compartment to facilitate its separation from the side walls of said tray and said other compartment Wall.

MAXIMILIAN SIEBIGTEROTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,267,441 Carney Dec. 23, 1941 2,340,693 Roberts Feb. 1, 1944 

